I had played Nurgle CSM/Deathguard armies since 3rd Edition. Originally it was a Rhino rush army that then was adjusted for all the different versions of 40k and the different codexes. So now it was time again to update the army again for the latest Edition of the game - or rather a complete overhaul since I was going to use completely new models for most of the army.

The army was planned for 2000 points. Three units of 10 Plague Marines mounted in Rhinos were to be the core of the army. A Vindicator and 10 Terminators with a Nurgle Banner were added for some heavy hitting power. A Lascannon Predator and a Lascannon armed Dreadnought provided anti-tank capability. The army was the rounded off by a Chaos Lord with the Mark of Nurgle in Terminator armor.

Overall I wanted to stay away from the decayed/diseased/bloated look that most modelers and painters go for. I also didn’t want to use the official Plague Marine models since they were too “static” and didn’t allow for enough customization. The same was true for the vehicles. I didn’t want the vehicles to be too decayed and instead opted for a more “patched up” look.

The squad markings were the Nurgle symbols from the lost and the damned/slaves to darkness books. These books added special symbols for all Chaos gifts and demons and I decided to use those to mark individuals and Squads.

The Chaos Lord was equipped with the Mark of Nurgle, Terminator armor and a Demon Weapon (Plaguebringer). The miniature was based largely on the currently available plastic kit. The arms were repositioned. The weapon was converted using the Force Weapon staff and the handle of the Poweraxe. The scythe blade was from a WHFB Zombie. I then added the head from the WHFB Nurgle Lord (that I had leftover from a previous project). Greenstuff was then used to fix the right hand, the personal symbol/mark on the shoulder pad (the symbol stood for the old “Gift of Immensity”), encrust the the blade and close some gaps. The base of the model is from the WHFB Hero basing kit with a OOP Scorpion added (it was one of two that were available as the previous version of the Tomb King Tomb Swarm).

The Terminators were “leftover” from a previous version of this army. I had try to sculpt and cast an entire army but had problems with the casting material/process (it seems I couldn’t get resin to work properly). The Terminators turned out mostly ok, so I kept them. The original model was based on the older Space Marine plastic Terminator. I just gave them a bigger gut and added Chaos trim and cabling. The Helmet was sculpted to look more “nurglesque” by adding a gas mask and a WWII German style helmet. The twin linked bolter was originally a CSM Terminator Combi-Bolter/Flamer. The Power weapon arm simply had the Chaos star removed and replaced with the Squad logo - the symbol for the Beast of Nurgle. The Squad itself was made up of 10 Terminators (to allow 2 Reaper cannons and to make the Banner more economical). The Reaper cannons and the Powerfists on the two models were simply added from (the previous version of the) regular CSM Terminators. I just added the Squad symbol. The Champion had a WHFB Ungor head added and the twin lightning claws from the new Terminator Lord. The banner had to be converted and I figured as an Chosen Champion of Nurgle the Terminator Champion would not carry it himself and have a Plaguewitch carry it instead. The model is from Bronze Age (seems I cannot finish a project without one of those models these days). The banner staff is brass rod, the banner top was made from mostly Chaos vehicle accessory sprue parts and the banner itself is from Greenstuff. Some of the squad’s bases had pieces added from the various Citadel miniature basing kits.

I managed to get the Rogue Trader era Dreadnought a couple of years ago. And even though the model according to the army list was armed with a Lascannon I decided to not change anything on the model and to leave the old Powerclaw and Plasmacannon combo (it seemed almost blasphemous to me to even contemplate a conversion). I based him on a 40 mm base and tried to paint him in the same style as the rest of the army (which was a bit tricky since the style of the miniatures had changed quite a bit since the model had been released).

I had to find a way to distinguish the three squads of Plaguemarines other than the squad badges. I found the problem with most marine armies is that the models looks very similar and when the massive pile-up in the middle of the board occurs it is very hard to tell the squads apart. So I decided to use different types of heads and helmets for the different squads.

The first squad was built heads with gas/filter masks. The badge was the “Nurgle Fly”. The special weapons for this squad were plasma guns and the Aspiring Champion was equipped with a personal icon. Since this squad will be the one calling in the Terminators, the fly symbol is repeated on the back of the Terminators’ armor. The Nurgle Fly was also added to the attached Rhino. The symbol was cut out of plasticard and glued to the top hatch. The patched up look on the Rhino was achieved by adding bits of textured plasticard.

The second squad was built with bare/plain helmets. The squad icon was the symbol of the Great Unclean One. The squad’s special weapons were two Meltaguns. The Aspiring Champion was converted to carry the head of a Champion of Tzeentch (the first ever game I played with this army was a Tzeentch player and he had used this head for his Lord. I managed an instant kill with the Vindicator, so I thought it was only fitting to add this trophy somewhere in the army). The squad’s logo was also duplicated on the Rhino.

The third squad was assembled with horned helmets. The squad emblem was the glyph of the Plaguebearer. Two flamers were added as the special weapons. I converted the Champion to have two horns on his helmet (the original has only one), since I figured it would look better if all models have two horns. And the squad badge was repeated on the Rhino again.

 

The conversion work on the Predator was kept fairly minimal. I only added four rows of spikes to the front to make it look different from the Rhinos (since it has a much higher armor value on the front than the APCs) and I also used the textured plasticard like on all the tanks for the patched up look. The Tank commander’s head is a Iron Warrior’s head.

 

The Vindicator was originally meant to have the demonic possession upgrade. So I started converting it and gave it the sphincter (inspired by the Saarlac) in the top hatch. In the latest version of the army list it actually does not have the upgrade but I decided to keep the hatch anyway.

There are more things planned to be added to this army in the future. I want to convert a Sorcerer so I have a choice of leaders. I have a couple of ideas about objective markers. I am thinking about adding an allied demon force (about 1000 points to bring the whole list up to 3000 points for bigger battles) since I have two packs of Plaguebearers from previous versions of the army. And I also want to add a Plaguereaper and a Plaguetower for Apocalypse games.

-Lamenter

Filed under: Death Guard, Galleries - Mini Showcase by Lamenter
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So not every game I play really warrants a full review. Some are just average games, others I feel I need to really play a few times more to formulate some more solid opinions. In any case though here are a few that have seen some play time recently and I just have a few comments on:

Mississippi Queen: The theme of this game is one which either sinks its talons into you or it will send you running. The game involves racing paddle boats down the Mississippi River during the late 1800’s or so. MQ itself is a simple little race game that has some fun and excitement. There is a bit of randomness and how lucky you can be with how the river unfolds which can be frustrating at times when you are in the lead only to have the river bend the other direction and plop a few islands down causing you to drop a few positions as you maneuver around them. But simple rules do make for a simple and fun game. I don’t know if I’d recommend this game to everyone though. I say that because in my opinion the full game is both the base game and the expansion. The expansion adds just that little bit extra to take the game from average to great, for me at least. The cost to hunt down both the expansion and the base game for these OOP titles are a bit harder and more expensive than it is really worth. If you happen to find yourself with access to a copy I highly recommend giving it a shot…It may be that simple race game you’ve been looking for.

Pandemic: I’m a sucker for co-op games…I think it has something to do with wishful thinking on my part that I might be able to get non-gamers into gaming by providing a game which everyone plays together. Since everyone knows I’m a gamer I felt like they were intimidated by my “expertise” and caused them to shy away. Sadly my wishful thinking with co-op games proves that was only a very minor hurdle… But anywho, Pandemic is a game that I’d recommend to just about everyone. If you like co-op games there is something here for you. What I like most about the game, and I might get lynched for saying this, but to me it feels the game fits along side games like Clue, Stratego, Scrabble…etc. The rules for Pandemic are no more complex than any of those and it is a quick game to pick up and get a feel for. There are also some creative mechanics to really convey the feeling that these viruses are true pandemics in areas around the world that can be controlled at times but often outbreak very quickly. If you like co-op games then I highly recommend you take a look at this. There is a lot of excitement as the team tries to stem the tide of impending doom that the game constantly emits.

Legend of Robin Hood: So this game I’ve only gotten to the table once for two games and due to some piss poor play on my part the first one last only 20 mins or so as I threw Robin Hood to the wolves and he quickly got killed in combat costing me the game. What is interesting about LoRH is that the game at its core is pretty simple but in the old Avalon Hill style of the 70’s and 80’s chrome rules are layered thick which does make the game a little confusing at first since they have to be explained to give the full scope of the game but they are such a small part that it is a little overwhelming to grasp at first. These small and minor parts, when combined together, create a very narrative and thematic game which for sure was a pleasure to play. But I feel this game has a short shelf life so to speak. After the first two plays it seems that part of the experience with this game is just learning how to properly play over the course of a few games. I have this feeling though that once that part is hit and both players are very familiar with the game, I feel like the first few rounds, due to the fixed setup, will start to mirror each other which to me isn’t good for the longevity of a game. I’m not sure I can recommend this game to everyone. LoRH is a great example of how a very thematic narrative can be incorporated into game but much like reading a novel you end with either a strong desire to learn more or you close the book, put it on your self and think “that was a fun romp, what is next”. For me, LoRH falls more towards the later…I just have this feeling that if I get it to the table one more time that would be the last time.

Well there are a few quick hitters for you.
‘Til Next Time - Happy Gaming
LvT

Filed under: Games - Board Games by LordVonTush
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